John Kruk, Orel Hershiser rip Marlins for being “very disloyal to their fans”

Today, former All Stars John Kruk and Orel Hershiser were asked about the 2013 Marlins during an ESPN conference call.

Both were critical about the way the front office dismantled the team.

“If I’m a fan of the Miami Marlins, I don’t know if I would be a fan anymore. How do you root for anyone?” Kruk said.

“You root for a team, you’re loyal to your team, but you also get loyal to players. It just doesn’t seem like the Marlins are that interested in keeping players around that long for you to get loyal with.

“Yes, they won a couple World Championships, that’s great. Each time after they won they dismantled the whole team,” Kruk said.

“I think they were very disloyal to their fans by signing these guys, getting the hype about the new stadium, everything is going to be great, we’re going to be spenders, win another World Championship, then a couple months into the season, Okay, this doesn’t seem to be working, let’s get rid of everyone.

“If I was a fan of the Marlins I would be confused, upset and not sure I’d be willing to spend my money anymore to go watch them.”

Hershiser said he felt bad for the South Florida market.

“It’s just really sad. It’s sad to see the South Florida baseball fans get the wool pulled over their eyes,” he said.

“The popularity rating of the owner is not real good right now, I wouldn’t think. You look at the names that exited Florida, it’s unbelievable. Usually the Canadian people come south to get warm, but it sounds like all of Miami had to go north to be in Toronto now.

“It’s really sad to me. I hope that they turn it around. I hope that the ownership says, ‘You know what, we have to be loyal to our fan base, to this commitment we made to this new stadium, to Florida baseball, turn it around.’ But that would be a big switch from where they are right now.”